Stair construction



Dec. 15 1925.

J. s. MANTQN sum consmucuon.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 16. 1923 James Man Dec J. S. MANTON STAIR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Shout 2 Filed April 16. 1923 r v 25 gfm efila W James 5. Manfi J74 ma$ Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

' UNITED STATES JAMES s. MANTON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STAIR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April-16, 1923. Serial No. 632,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. MANTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stair Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in the construction of stairs, and more particularly in metal stairs. v

The fundamental object of the present inve ntion is to provide a unitary construction of riseand soffitin stairs of the class de scribed. A further object is to provide a unitary construction of riser and sofiit in the form of a sheet metal stamping.

One advantage of this unitary construction is that it reduces the number of parts to be handled in transporting and storing the necessary parts or units for the stair A further advantage is that it eliminates bolting or riveting operations between the riser and soflit, and thereby facilitates the 'assembly of the units and the erection of the stairs.

A further advantage is the increased rigidity and strength which the integral soffit lends to the riser and to the tread.

A further advantage obtainable through the use of this unitary construction is an interlocking relation between the successive steps of the stairs.

A further object is to provide improved means for supporting stairs of this construction.

'A further object is to provide improved means for supporting the treads in each stair unit.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention i 1 Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional vievs through two stair units.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewin reduced scale taken on the plane: of line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the lateral supportingplates.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to-Fig. 1-.1llustratingfa modified formofrisen and gscflit. Figs. 4:. and 5 arelongitudinal sectional views of two more modified constructions;

and I Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the use of a facing and connecting bar.

"The flight of stairs is erected from a series of stair units broadly designated 5, each consisting, of a steel or iron plate shaped to form the riser '6 and soflit 7 The riser end of the plate is .bent forwardly adjacent its upper end, as indicated at 8, to provide an internal shoulder for supporting the tread bearing pan and the supporting bars therefor.- The upper edge of the plate is turned inwardly to form an overhanging retaining flange 9 for locking the concrete tread or filler, such as 16, in'place.

- The lower part of the riser is bent frwardly on a curve to form a curved corner 11 at the intersection with the next tread. The plate is then bent downwardly at substantially right angles to the flight of stairs to form a bolting web 12. From the lower edge of this bolting web the plate is bent diagonally upward to form the inclined soflit extending parallel with the run of the stairs.

The upper edge of the soflit is bent upwardly at right angles to form a bolting flange 13 which bolts to the web 12 of the next succeeding stair unit 5. i

The units are bolted together by passing a series of bolts 15 through aligned holes in the bolting web 12 and bolting flange 13 of adjoining units. When thus assembled the coving corner or flangell is at substantially the same level as the inwardly turned retaining flange 9 and the tread is completed by a filling of concrete 16 between these flanges. This slab of concrete is supported upon a series of supporting plates or bars 17 and a tray or pan 18 resting thereon. The supporting bars or plates 17 are spaced at intervals across the width of the stair, as shown in Figure 2, and are secured at their forward'ends byriveting to the supporting shoulder 8, as indicated at 19. The rear ends of these supporting bars are bent upwardly,-as indicated at 21', and are secured to the bolting flange 13 of their corresponding stair units by individually riveting these. ends 21 to the bolting flange, or by passing the bolts 15 through holes in these upwardly turned ends. ,The, pan 18 consists .of.a .metal plate extending crosswise the w1dth.of .thestalr and having corrugations therein for giving the pan strength and preventing any movement of the concreteafterit has set. It will beinotedrthat when the concrete tread 16 hardens it interlocks the bolting flange 13 to the web 12, and also interlocks the nut 15 on the end of the bolt 15 against accidental rotation and loosenin The several stair units may be supported in any suitable manner, but one of the preferred modes of supporting these stair units is by side supporting plates or string pieces of the character shown in Figure 2. These supporting plates are designated by reference numeral 22 and extend upwardly along the side walls parallel withv the run of the stairs. Each plate has an outwardlyturned flange 23 along its upper edge which is embedded in a concrete facing 24 along the side walls of the stairway. The lower edge of each plate 22 is formed with an inwardly turned flange 25, to which each of the stair units 5 is secured at spaced intervals, such as by the bolts 26. The plates 22 afford a finishing facing along both sides of the stairs and considerably enhance the appearance of the stairs. The area behind each plate 22 is filled solid with concrete so as to securely anchor and brace the plate 22 for its function of supporting the stairs.

Figure 8 illustrates a modification differing from the foregoing embodiment in that the soffit 7 is turned downwardly for association with the next lower stepunit instead of upwardly as in the above form. The riser 6 may be constructed in substantially the same form as above described, but the sofit plate 7 is bent diagonally downward from the lower edge of the bolting web 12 so as to face off the underside of the next lower step. The lower edge of the soliit is provided with an upwardly-turned bolting flange 13 which abuts the web 1201. the next lower stair unit and is bolted thereto in the same man ner, as above described.

here a separate marble or slate tread is desired the tray formed between the pan 18 and the flanges 8 and 11 is made comparatively shallow for receiving only a shallow filling of cement, and the marble or slate tread is then placed on this cement filling and intermediate the flanges 9 and 11.. For such construction, the flange 11 is preferably turned at an abrupt angle so that the tread can be fitted in against the riser.

In Fig. 1' the soffit 7 is bent backwardly under the stair unit as shown in Fig. 1, but instead of having the edge of the sotlitturn upwardly for bolting to the web 12 this edge is dropped downwardly for passing under the lower edge of the next succeeding sofiit and the two soflits are bolted together as shown at 28. The dropped edge 29 may be cut slightly narrower than the width of the soifit so as to clear the supporting flanges 25.

In Fig. 5 the soifit is extended downwardly under the next lower stair unit, and the lower edge of this soflit is also dropped or ofl'set at 29, similarly to the arrangemen shown in Fig. i, for passing under the next lower soflit 7 and narrowed if desired, to fit between flanges 25. then bolted at 28. By joining the edges of adjacent soflits, according to the modes shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the sotfits form a solid line of rigidly joined'plates incapable of any separating or spreading motion. The sofiits may or may not be bolted to the supporting flanges 25, as desired.

In Fig. 6 a bar 31 of Tsection is interposed between adjacent stair units for covering the joining linev between stair units and for strengthening the construction The webof this bar is bolted between flange 13 of the sofiit and the web 12 of the riser of adjacent stair units. The outer flanges of the bar serve as a batten or facing strip for concealing the joint line between the stair units.

1 claim 1. In stair construction, the combination of a riser, a soflit constructed as an integral unit and an independent, pan between the riser and soffit.

2. In stair construction, the combination of a plurality of stair units, each comprising a riser, a soffit integraltherewith and an independent pan between the top of the riser and the upper end of the soffit.

3. In stair construction, the combination of a stair unit comprising a riser, a soflit extending diagonally from the lower. edge thereof and supporting plates at the sides having bottom flanges secured to the soifit and top flanges suitably supported.

4. In, stair construction, the combination of a stair unit comprising a riser, an integral soffit extending upwardly from the lower edge of said riser, supporting plates at the sides of the stairs and connected to the .respective units parallel with the run of the stairs, each plate having an outwardly turned flange and an inwardly turned flange embedded in a concrete facing along the side walls of the stairway and connected to the softit respectively.

5. As a unit for the construction of stairs, a riser, a soflit constructed from a unitary piece of sheet metal, a separate tray supported on flanges near the top of the riser These two soflits are and soifit, respectively, near the adjacent r1ser, supporting means therefor between said parts of the risers and sofiits, and side plates secured to the solfits at their lower edges and having embedded supporting means at their sides and upper edges.

6. As a unit for stair construction, a riser, a sofiit punched from a unitary sheet of metal, bars between the top of the riser and the top of the sofflt, and a corrugated pan supported on said bars to receive a tread member of concrete or the like.

7. In stair construction, the combination of a riser and a soflit constructed as an integral unit, a shoulder carried by said riser, a flange projecting from said sofiit, supporting bars extending between said shoulder and said flange, and a pan resting on said bars for supporting a filling of concrete.

8. In a stair construction, the combination of a riser, a solflt and a pan intermediate the riser and the soffit having a corrugated bottom.

9. In a stair construction, side strings having inwardly turned longitudinal flanges, a plurality of individual plate members supported upon said flanges and adapted to be secured together to form a continuous sofiit, each of said plate members having an inwardly turned portion forming the stair risers, and an independent pan between each of the risers and the soflit.

10. In a stair construction, pans for receiving a filling of suitable material to form a tread, side strings having inwardly turned longitudinal flanges, a plurality of individual plate members supported upon said flanges and adapted to be secured together to form a continuous sofiit, each of said plate members having an inwardly turned portion forming the stair risers and pockets for receiving the pan containing the treads, and

means for maintaining the pans in position.

11. In a stair construction, side strings having lnwardly extendlng longitudinal flanges, a plurality of trough-shaped members bent into angle formations and having sloping bottoms forming the stair soffit, the upper edge of said trough-shaped members being bent upwardly in about a right angle to the soflit and adapted to engage a correspondingly bent portion of the riser of the adjacent member, said troughmembers being supported at the ends upon the flanges, and an independent pan supported intermediate each riser and the soflit, said pan being adapted to receive a filling of suitable material to form the treads.

12. In a stair construction, side strings having inwardly extending longitudinal flanges,'trough-shaped plate members having perpendicularly arranged risers and bottoms sloping in acute angular relation to the risers adapted to rest upon the string flanges and to form the soflit, the upper edge thereof being turned inwardly to abut the adjacent member, and an independent pan disposed in each of said trough-shaped plate members for receiving a filling of suitable material to form the treads.

13. In a stair construction, a riser, a soffit, a plurality of supporting members between the upper part of the riser and the soffit, and a pan disposed on said members.

14. In a stair construction, a riser, a soffit, supporting means between the upper part of the riser and the soflit, and a corrugated pan disposed on said supporting means.

15. In a stair construction, a riser, a soffit, a plurality of supportingelements between the upper part of the riser and the soflit, a corrugated pan disposed on said supporting elements, and a tread on said pan.

16. In a stair construction, a riser, a soffit, and a removable pan disposed between the said soflit and riser.

17. In a stair construction, a riser, a soffit, a removable pan, and means associated with the said riser and soflit for supporting the said pan.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this 27th day of March, 1923.

JAMES S. MANTON. 

